Officers in the Integrated Criminal Investigations Division have charged Lindsay Kantha Souvannarath and Randall Steven Shepherd with Conspiracy to Commit Murder. We do not wish to give these individuals further notoriety so will not be referring to their names again.

Information came forward to police via a Crime Stoppers tip that suggested that a 19-year-old Timberlea male and a 23-year old Geneva, Illinois female had access to firearms and it was their intention to go to a public venue in the Halifax region on February 14th with a goal of opening fire to kill citizens, and then themselves. Evidence also supports that a 20-year-old male from Halifax was involved.

A third individual, a 17-year-old male from Cole Harbour, was released overnight without charge. Through the investigation, officers determined that the male was a person of interest. At this time, there is no evidence to link him to charges before the courts. The investigation is ongoing.

A fourth individual, a 19-year-old man, was found dead inside a Timberlea home. The death is under investigation by the Nova Scotia Serious Incident Response Team.

“RCMP and HRP have laid charges in this incident and have eliminated the threat,” said Chief Jean-Michel Blais, Halifax Regional Police. “This is a reminder that this type of incident can happen anywhere. Recognizing our citizens may be anxious in the wake of this news, we have additional high visibility patrols in and around the city. We encourage people to go about their daily lives.”

“This is an excellent example that demonstrates the value of the Crime Stoppers program,” says Nova Scotia RCMP Commanding Officer, A/Comm Brian Brennan. “The information came to us in a timely manner and allowed us to act quickly. We often ask citizens to be our eyes and ears in their communities and it was through one tip that we were able to intercept and eliminate a significant threat, and ultimately save lives.”

The accused are scheduled to appear in Halifax Provincial Court at 9 a.m on Tuesday, February 17th, 2015.